Nonlinear dynamics of ferroelectrics with three-well local potential

Abstract

For Sn_2P_2S_6 ferroelectrics, the appearance of spontaneous polarization is related to stereoactivity of tin cations and valence fluctuations of phosphorous cations. Here, the continuous phase transition and its behavior under pressure is determined by thee-well local potential and can be described in an anharmonic quantum oscillator model. For such a model, the spectrum of pseudospin fluctuations at different temperatures and pressures has been calculated and compared with the data of Raman spectroscopy. It was revealed that the ferroelectric lattice instability is related to several low energy optic modes.

Keywords

• phase diagrams
• ferroelectrics
• lattice models in statistical physics